Car-starter



(No ModeL Q H. P. WAYMAN,

AR -STARTER,-

Patented Jan. 10, 18 88.

.vmu. T w F WITNESS s .dttorney UNITED STATES HENRY P. WAYMAN, OF TRENTON, NENV JERSEY.

CAR-STARTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent No. 376,356, dated January 10, 1898.

Application filed August 17, 1887. Serial No. 247,156. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY P. WAYMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Oar-Starters; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being 1 had to the accompanying drawings, and toletters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a bottom view of a car, showing this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is adetail sectional view of ringlever and clutch device. Fig. 4c is a detail view of the link-connection.

This invention has relation to means for relieving the shoulders of 7 horses from the sudden pressure experienced in starting the cars, and also for assisting the horses in the initial movement.

It consistsin the construction and novel combination of devices, as hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates the body of a street-car, and B B the axles carrying the wheels 0 O, rigidly secured to the ends of said axles.

D is a circular collar or center piece rigidly attached to the axle between the wheels, and at several pointsinv the circumferential portion of this center piece are formed recesses 2, having bottoms which extend chordwise to the edge or are inclined in order to provide a clutch device.

E E are side plates or guards, which are located on each side of the center piece, D, and extend outward beyond theedge thereof,serving to hold in proper position the ring F, which encircles said center piece and is loose thereon. The rollers or balls g g are placed in the recesses e e and are of sufficient diameter to engage the inner edge of the ring F, so that when this ring is revolved in .one direction it will turn loosely on the circular center D; but when the ring is turned in the opposite direction the balls moving on the inclined bottoms of the recesses e will be brought into forcible engagement with the ring and will hold it rigidly to the center piece and axle.

The lever-ring F is provided with a series of circumferentialnotches, h, which usually have concave walls designed to prevent the link K from casually dropping out of the notch with which it is engaged. This lever-ring is made of a little less diameter than the wheel of the car. These notches are a little inclined to the radius backward, so that when the ring moves back the link will not slip out of its notch. In this manner it is designed to provide a noiseless-acting device.

The link K is connected to the slide L,which works in guides in, secured to the bottom of the car, and which extend forward to the end of the car, as indicated. To the end of this slide is connected the draft apparatus N. v

S is a spring, usually of elliptical form, which is located transversely under the bottom of the car at its end and is bowed backward to engage a catch, P, of the slide L. Usually I prefer to use two springs, these being attached at the outer ends to the car and lapping at the central portions, the catch P engaging said lapped ends, but permitting the same to move therein. ally provided on the slide. forward of the point of connection of the springs to said slide, to relieve the springs when the load is heavy and the car is under way.

If the car is designed to be drawn eithe end forward, both axles are provided with the center pieces, ring-levers, and connections, and a shipping device is employed, this usually consisting of a reciprocating rod, R,working in guides 12, attached to the car-bottom, and provided at its ends with chains 0 c, which extend through openings in" the platform of the car and enable the driver to operate the rod. This rod is also provided with the chains d d, which are respectively attached to said rod and to the links K K, as indicated.

When the rod R is moved toward either end of the car, the chain d at the other end is drawn up, lifting the link K out of engagement with the notched ring lever at that end, and at the same time the chain at at the end toward which the rod is moved is slackened, allowing the link A stop, a, is also usu- K of this end to fall into engagement with its ring-lever. The small operating chain or connection c at this end can then be connected to a hook, k, on the rail of the platform to hold the adjustment until another change is re quired.

The operation of these devices is as follows: The horses, it will be observed, pull against the spring, so that the pressure on their shoulders is equalized and eased, especially at the starting of the car. At this time, also, the draft, pulling the slide L and link K, acts directly on the lever-ring to pull it around in the direction of rotation proper to start the car, and the lever-ring, becoming locked to the center piece by the clutch device, operates under the pull to turn the axle in the proper di rection. As soon as the car is started, the leverring becomes unlocked and the axle moves freely. At any stoppage the lever-ring, with its link in connection, moves back on the center piece to proper position to again act when the draft is made on the slide.

In going uphill, if the draft-connections should be broken the devices will operate as abrake to prevent the car from running backward down the hill, as the axle and center piece, turning backward, will at once bring the clutch devices into action, locking the center piece to the lever-ring, which is engaged with the link of the slide.

Having described this invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a car-starter, the circmnferentiallynotched ring-lever encircling the axial center piece, having recesses with inclined bottoms and rollers therein, in combination with a notch-engaging link connected to a slide to which the draft is attached, substantially as specified.

2. In a car-starter, the combination, with the axle having the circular center piece, circumferentially-notched ring-lever, and clutch device, of the end spring orsprings connected to the car, the link, and its slide connected to the draft, substantially as specified.

3. In a car-starter, the combination, with the axles, theircircumferentially-notched ringlevers, and clutch devices, of the end springs attached to the car, the links connected at one end to the draft-slides and theiroppositcends to the shipping-chain, and the reciprocating shipping rod and chains, substantially asspecified.

4. In a car-starter, the transverse lapping elliptic springs attached to the end portion of the car under its bottom, in combination with the draftslide having a catch engaging said springs at the lap, substantially as specified.

5. In a car-starter, the combination, with transverse springs attached to the car end under its bottom, of a ring-lever connected by clutch devices to the axle and a link and slide connected to the draft, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY P. WAYMAN.

Witnesses:

PHILIP G. MAsI, M. P. CALLAN. 

